FN Adds M249S Para to Military Collector Series

Last year around this time, FN brought out its new Military Collector Series of firearms. In that first launch, the manufacturer introduced three firearms: the FN 15 Military Collector M4, FN 15 Military Collector M16, and the FN M249S, a semi-automatic version of the company’s classic military M249 SAW.

This year, FN has announced it is expanding its Military Collector Series to include a fourth firearm, this one another M249S variant. The new M249S Para is a semi-auto replica of the M249 originally developed for and issued to airborne troops.

The two most notable changes between the original M249S introduced this past year and the new M249S Para are the iconic telescoping and rotating buttstock and the shorter 16.1-inch cold hammer-forged, machine gun-grade barrel. These changes result in a shorter overall length of 30.5 to 36 inches compared to the original’s 40.75-inch fixed overall length, and they shave off roughly a pound from the overall weight.

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“The M249S Para is the fourth in our series of classic, semi-automatic FN military rifles and like the Standard, the Para is authentic to the last possible detail,” said John Keppeler, senior vice president of sales and marketing for FN America, LLC. “You’ll notice only two major differences between the semi- and full-auto versions – the barrel length and reconfigured internal components to change the rifle’s operation from open-bolt to closed-bolt. Authenticity was critical in this series and we changed as little as possible.”

In pursuit of this authenticity, the new FN M249S Para incorporates the classic M249 flip-up feed tray, an integrated steel bipod, and FN’s robust gas-piston system. The new gun does retain most of the features found on the previous M249S, and it can be converted back to the original model configuration in around 30 seconds.

The new M249S Para will be available in either black or in Flat Dark Earth (FDE). MSRP is currently listed at about $1,000 more than the original at $8,799 for the black version, and $9,199 for the FDE variant.

Drew Warden is the Managing Editor of Gun Digest the Magazine. His articles have appeared in Gun Digest the Magazine, Guns & Ammo special publications and online at Guns & Ammo and Shooting Times. He is an avid upland bird and waterfowl hunter, but his firearm interests vary from modern tactical guns like the AR-15 to classic historical and military surplus firearms as well.